So, just by the title of this post you will know what’s been going on in my life. I AM pregnant! Yep. 24 weeks today (or 5 months). I can’t believe how fast it’s going. I have been truly lucky in my pregnancy. No morning sickness or weird symptoms, just really tired from week 5 – 10 and the odd feeling of nausea which goes away when I eat. It’s more like an extreme hunger pain, but comes on really quickly. So, what have I been doing? That’s right. Eating. What else is there to do when you are pregnant? Get up and pee, eat. Shower, eat. Get to work, eat. Free food, eat. Eat lunch, and then eat again. It’s been terribly awesome.
I must admit that the extreme hunger trumps my ability to eat as healthy as I’d like, but I’m ok with that. Sometimes this involved the odd trip to Subway, (wheat, I know, and quite tasteless might I add) and only once did I ask Jesse to get me a cheeseburger (more wheat) and fries from McDonald’s at 11pm. I really wanted a poutine, but McDonald’s was the only place he could find (apparently) on his way home from lacrosse. Well, I can tell you, it tasted pretty good and greasy, just like how I remember it after a long night out on the town. But, it was a good reminder why I avoid that crap because I had a migraine for 3 days after.
Usually, the biggest thing I try to avoid is wheat (bread, pasta, pastries, cakes, cookies – which are all usually made from wheat), and for some reason, I’m eating all of that and more. My face has broken out in a little rash/eczema and I’ve been very bloated and gassy, but if I need to eat, those things are the last thing on my mind. It bothers me a little as I am normally pretty committed, but I can’t seem to stop.
I went to my naturopath and she wanted me to write down what I’ve been eating so she could see what I was feeding the baby. Uh oh. I ask my clients to do the same for me. “Write down what you’re eating, portion size, and how you feel after you eat – mentally and physically…” So I’ve been writing it all down trying to eat as many vegetables as possible to ensure the baby is getting at least some of the proper vitamins and minerals it deserves. Most of the plant based food I’ve been craving is fruit which is fine with me. Fruit salads, apples, oranges, blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, watermelon, cantaloupe and kumquats. Gawd, I love fruit.
Leafy green vegetables, which are one of the best things for the baby, have fallen to the wayside. I’m really trying to eat them when I can, but I’m sorry, they are not as exciting as the big bowl of pasta Jesse always makes or the chocolate chunk cookies he buys from Costco that tempt me every time I walk through the kitchen.
I’m trying to drink a smoothy at least once a week.
The best and easiest one is this:
Blueberry and Banana Smoothie Recipe
– ½ to ¾ cup frozen blueberries
– a banana
– ¾ cup of water
– a handful of spinach.
Put the spinach in first to be sure it blends up nicely. The frozen berries make it cold, but if you don’t have them, add some ice. This is a great way to get some of those leafy greens without having to crunch on them.
I’m also trying to eat plenty of protein for the growth of the baby. You are supposed to increase this by 50% of your normal intake (about 70-85g/day) so good quality meat, eggs, beans and lentils have luckily wiggled their way into my meals. Increased intake of additional nutrients during pregnancy is also important such as calcium, iron, zinc, and B vitamins and believe me, and I’m working on these.
Cravings have not been overbearing, but the odd urge comes over me and may or may not stick around to the point that I must have it. However, within the last week I have been craving pancakes and crunchy cheesies.
My belly is getting big. It’s so cool! I am truly enjoying being pregnant. I think it’s the neatest thing to have a mini human inside. The baby has been moving quite a bit for the last few weeks and Jesse has been able to feel it. I feel most of the movement when I lie on my back because I don’t think the baby likes that position. They say that it’s better to sleep on your side, but the back seems to be the most comfortable for me. A lot of tossing and turning at night makes for a very tired day, but I assume the body is just getting me ready for a lot of sleepless nights.
Other things that are going on in my life that have been preventing me from blogging as much as I’d like:
– A house we bought: Start the renovations or don’t start the renovations… that is the question. Move in or don’t move in? Hmmm… too much to explain here, but nonetheless, an unnecessary stress.
– A university course I’m doing through correspondence – Psychology of child development. Great timing I know, but still, I didn’t realize university courses involved so much reading! Learning a lot about how the little humans develop into bigger humans is pretty neat. Did you know that the stepping reflex seen in babies goes away and then re-appears at the time they are ready to walk?
– J B Stonework Inc. The husband’s company of which I’m the office administrator became extremely busy these past summer months. Busy is not a bad thing, but hey, that took a toll. Let alone on me. My poor husband worked his ass off so I’m glad a little of that has subsided.
Things that I think are taking up my time, but I’m not sure I’m really doing them:
– Exercise. Trying, but there has been a lack of motivation.
– Cleaning? Who has time to clean when they’re pregnant? Let alone when the baby comes. Seriously, this is going to be a challenge for me.
To wrap up this post, things are going as well as they could be. Due date is November 27th so I’m hoping to eat more vegetables than I have been from now until then. Hoping to be prepared in time for a new human to raise. Yikes! That sounds scary. Well, ready or not, it will be born and whether I’m tired or not, it will need to eat. Lucky for me, increased calories are still necessary when you’re breastfeeding, but hopefully, my motivation to eat healthy will surpass the temptations that always seem to find there way onto my plate.